Abstract Expressionist Paintings example essay topic

Abstract Expressionism Abstract Expressionism Abstract Expressionism Essay, Research Paper Abstract Expressionism is a radical style of art with which artists outdistance their models, adding full, violent colour, and bold distortion. It was created by artists who felt uneasy expressing themselves with conventional styles of art that could not correctly convey their visions; artists like Jackson Pollock, Hans Hofmann, and Willem De Kooning, were all greatly involved in shaping Abstract Expressionism into what it is today. Like many other modern movements, Abstract Expressionism does not describe any one particular style, but rather a general attitude; not all the work was abstract, nor was it all expressive. There are two main types of Abstract Expressionism: Calligraphic, and Iconic.

Calligraphic paintings are composed of freely scribbled marks that cover most of the work surface, while Iconic paintings are usually composed of one main, centralised form. Jackson Pollock's painting "Number Thirty Two' is a perfect example of Calligraphic Abstract Expressionism, while Barnett Newman's "Achilles' is a typical Iconic Abstract Expressionist work. Most Abstract Expressionist paintings have, to a certain extent, the same characteristics: The paintings are usually rather large; they are an expression of thought through the use of gestural or "action' painting; they are commonly painted with strange objects; they are usually filled with vibrant, shocking colours and many other things not normally! associated with other "classical' forms of art – these artists are trying to paint raw emotion, not pretty pictures. The painters who came to be known as "Abstract Expressionists's hared a similar outlook rather than a style – an outlook of revolt and a belief in the freedom of expression.

The main thing these artists had in common was that they valued, above all, individuality and almost instinctive improvisation. With Jackson Pollock, the art of the United States freed itself for the first time from the European-dominated art society and took a leading part in adding to the history of art. Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, in 1912. He began to study painting at the Art Students' League in New York, in 1929, with Thomas Hart Benton. During the 1950's, he was strongly supported by most critics, but was also subject to abuse and sarcasm as the leader of a style still rather new (in 1956, TIME magazine called him "Jack the Dripper' because of his "Drip Paintings').

By the 1960's, however, he was generally recognized as one of the most important figures of the 20th century in American painting. His unhappy personal life (he was an alcoholic) and his premature death in a car crash also contributed to his famous status. He thought of paint as energy waiting to be released. He did not work the paint; he splattered it, threw it, spilled it, and dripped it. The resulting art would! d then rely on the way in which he applied the paint and what materials he used. With this method, the surface obtained was outstandingly rich, vibrant, and eye-catching.

However, Pollock did not leave everything to chance; he was extremely involved throughout the whole process, from beginning to end. Pollock himself had this to say about his "unusual's tyle of painting:' On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk round it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting. ' Pollock created "Convergence (Number 10, 1952) ' using his famous "drip's tyle of painting.

All at once, we are exposed to reds, blues, yellows, blacks, and whites that all jump out of the painting to the observer's eye demanding attention. The coarse surface of the painting expresses an emotion of rough spontaneous energy. We see that the lines created by wild strokes of the brush actually convey that same wildness, and spontaneous feeling – we can imagine ourselves being the artist, splattering, dripping, and smearing paint onto the canvas. Although there are no clearly visible shapes in this painting, we can distinguish sections created by thick white lines that slightly resemble geometric figures. Guided by long streaks of paint, our eyes move freely around the painting, providing some sense of unity. Another influential Abstract Expressionist was Hans Hofmann.

Hofmann was born in 1880, in Weissen berg, Bavaria. He opened an art school in Munich and taught in california during the summers of 1930 to 1931. In 1932, he moved to America and opened an art school in New York soon after. "The highest three-dimensionality is two-dimensionality, which no layman can ever understand,' said Hofmann.

"Depth is nothing less than suggested volume. I have students who come to me painting in dimensional rhythms, an empty affair. ' As we can see, Hofmann's ideas of art differ greatly from, say, a typical landscape painter who aims to recreate the scene before him exactly as he or she sees it. In "Magenta and Blue,' Hofmann creates four distinct sections; the table is unnaturally split into two halves, while the window separates itself from the wall by use of a darker tone. Hofmann uses a variety of techniques in this work: from pencil-like lines, to dark, painted regions. I find this painting to be very balanced; the four sections complement! each other, yet do not overpower each other either.

The contrast also assists in the over-all balance of the work; we see pretty much the same amount of dark's as we see lights, and, again, neither overpowers the other. Willem De Kooning was born in Rotterdam, Holland in 1905. He owned and operated an art school in Munich, and then moved to the United States when he was 22. He first did drawings, then switched to painting, using only black and white paint as a transition from the paper to the canvas. He later incorporated colour into his works, which, in my opinion, added a new dimension to his artwork. In "Excavation,' he used an extremely wide variety of lines, shapes, and textures, with the odd touch of colour in a few places.

We see many forms of lines: Short lines, long lines, thin lines, thick lines, and everything in between. The varied thickness of lines adds depth, pulling the observer into the painting. Shapes are abundant in this work, yet we can't always distinguish where one shape ends and another begins. Texture is created with various groupings of lines and shapes; we see an almost rough surface at the corners of the painting, while the open, free, and empty shapes in! the centre of the piece have a smooth-like nature to them. Small amounts of green, yellow, red, and pink colors are applied in short wisps of the brush, yet seem to add greatly to the artwork. The painting would lose much of it's intrigue had De Kooning not added the meagre amount of colour he did.

I happen to like this painting quite a lot. My eye flows from one side of it to the other very smoothly, and I get a great sense of unity; everything seems to belong together. In conclusion, I find Abstract Expressionism to be an extremely interesting style of art. The works of art within this style, that I am familiar with, all convey strong emotions; they are powerful, moving, and thought-provoking. Furthermore, I appreciate the new dimension that the Abstract Expressionists gave to art – by breaking the conventions of the time in their revolt against a stagnant realm.